March 24 - The Cosmic Killjoy?
March 24
The Cosmic Killjoy?
Bible Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-10
1Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mat-ti-thī´ah, Shē´ma, A-naī´ah, Ū-rī´jah, Hil-kī´ah, and Mā-a-sēi´ah; and at his left hand Pe-dāi´ah, Mish´a-el, Mal-chī´jah, Hā´shum, Hash-ba-da´na, Zech-a-rī´ah, and Me-shul´lam. 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7Also Jesh´ū-a, Bā´nī, Sher-e-bī´ah, Jā´min, Ak´kub, Shab´be-thaī, Hō-dī´jah, Mā-a-sēi´ah, Ke-lī´ta, Az-a-rī´ah, Joz´a-bad, Hā´nan, Pe-lāi´ah, and the Lē´vītes, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. 9And Nē-he-mī´ah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Lē´vītes who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
MANY PEOPLE IMAGINE God as a cosmic cop standing in the center of the galaxies like a police officer directing traffic.
"Hey, you! Yeah, you. You look like you're having fun over there. Well, cut it out!"
"And you, with the videotape. What's it rated? R? PG-13? Hand it over, slow and easy like!"
"And who's that couple lip-locked in the corner? That you, Cindy? And Robert--I shoulda known! We'll have no more of that! Not while I'm patrolling this beat!"
God. The Cosmic Killjoy. All we want to do is have a little fun. God just wants to spoil it for us.
But that's not true at all. God is not out to spoil your fun. In fact, he wants you to enjoy life. He wants you to have a blast! He wants you to experience a full and joyful life. He thinks it's cool when you laugh. He enjoys it when you're having fun. He wants your life to be full of joy--complete, full, incredible.
That kind of joy is what the Bible calls "the joy of the Lord," because true joy--like all good things--comes from God. The way puppies bounce around comically, tongues lolling out of their mouths--that was His idea. The way someone laughing really hard makes you want to laugh also, even if you don't know why he or she is laughing--that was His idea, too. The way you feel when you first experience the forgiveness of sin and the gift of salvation in Christ, as if you could jump high enough to slam dunk the moon through the rings of Saturn--His idea again!
Only a God who is joyful Himself could come up with such terrific ideas. That's the kind of God our God is! And He wants you to experience that kind of joy, too. That's why He gave His commandments. That's why He sent his Son. That's why He spoke His Word--so that you could get downright giddy with joy as a result of knowing Him, following Him, and having His Spirit living inside you. Joy from God's Spirit dwells so deep within you that it doesn't depend on circumstances. Loving and serving God doesn't spoil your fun; it opens the door to "an inexpressible and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8, NIV).
Oh, and one more thing--the face babies make when they taste something sour or bitter? That was God's idea, too.
REFLECT: Are you more joyful when you've done something wrong or when you've done something really good? How can you experience more of "the joy of the Lord"?
ACT: Sing the chorus "The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength" as loudly as you can. Try singing it while jumping up and down or while patting your head and rubbing your belly. Or sing it while tickling a friend (or being tickled).
PRAY: "God, You're not a killjoy. You're the one who brings joy to my life!"